Taxonomy

General Description

Middorsal ridge with anterior and posterior halves, each defined anteriorly by tooth. Submedian spine strong and oblique. Dorsolateral ridge unarmed. Hepatic spine present. Lateral ridge without spines. First leg subchelate (flat short claws ending in a finger fitting across an oblique palm); second legs much shorter than other legs. Third and fourth abdominal somites rounded dorsally. Up to 2.5 cm long.

Biology

Sand shrimps differ from all other caridean shrimps in having flat short chelipeds ending in a finger fitting across an oblique palm (rather than having two extended opposing fingers). All sand shrimps live on sandy sediments offshore but are so well disguised that they are rarely seen.